Game apparatus



P. W, AMLIE.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1919.

Patented Dec. 23,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- .x $7.3.

P. W. AMLIE.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY8.1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented Dec. 23-,

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STATE TlTTFi PAUL "W. All/111E, 0F BINFORD, NORTH DAKOTA.

eaiunarrnnarns.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, PAUL W. AMmn, citizen of the United States, residing at Binford, in the county of Griggs and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful lm n'ovements in Game Apparatus. of which the following is a specification. i i

My present invention pertains to game apparatus of the character disclosed in my Letters Patent of the United States No. 994,629, dated June (3, 1911.

The object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus that is a material simplification of that constituting the subject of my said Letters Patent, and is, at the same time, inexpensive, reliable in operation, and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which game apparatus is subjected by children.

To the attainment of the foregoing the present consists in the peculiar and advantageous construction, novel combination and adaptation of parts as hereinafter described and defined in the appended claims.

In the accoi'npanying drawings, hereby made a part hereof:

Figure. 1 is a plan view of my improved game apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, taken in the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section, taken in the plane indicated by the line of Fig. 2, looking toward the left.

Fig. .1 is a similar View, taken in the plane indicated by the line 1 1 of Fig. 2, looking toward the right.

Fig. 5 is a perspective showing one of the spring ball-impelhng members and the fingerlatch complementary thereto.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the ballrepelling members.

Similar numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

My improved construction. renders it feasible, as hereinafter set forth, to employ a slightly curved ball-supporting plate 1, and this is part of my present invention inasmuch as it contributes materially to the inexpensiveness of the apparatus. 1 do not, however, confine myself herein to a flat ball-sup porting plate as said plate may in the discretion of the manufacturer be arched, as in my patent supra, without departure from my present invention as claimed. The said plate 1 is preferably arranged below and Specification of Letters Patent. Patent d D 23 1919 Application filed May 8, 1919.

Serial No. 295,712.

spaced from a transparent top 2, both being carried by a frame 3. tions 41- divide the plate 1 into a plurality of transverse alleys 5. At one side of the frame 3, a keeper plate 6 is provided above openings 7 in the frame side Sthat are coincident with the alleys 5. Slots 9 are formed in the plate 1 adjacent to said frame side, there being one slot extending in the direction of the length of each alley 5. The opposite frame side 10 is provided with a plurality of transverse openings 11, one in vertical alinement with each alley 5 as shown. As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 a swell or vertical convexity 12 that constitutes an important feature of the present invention is provided at the inner side of the frame side 8, below the plate 1 and extending throughout the length thereof. Connected adjacent to their lower ends to the frame side 8 and opposed flatwise to the swell orconveXity 12 are the resilient ball-in'ipelling members 13. These members 13 extend upwardly through and are adapted to play laterally in the slots 9 ofthe plate 1. They are adapted to be placedunder-strong tension when retracted against the convexity12, and hence when so ten'sioned and suddenly released are calculated to strongly move balls 14- of which one is employed in each alley 5. Other movable bodies may obviously be used in lieu of the preferable balls, and hence the term balls as herein employed is intended to comprehend other i'novable bodies or units. Flexibly connected with the upper ends of the members 13 are finger latches 15, movable freely through the apertures in the frame side 8 and equipped with up wardly extending lugs 16 to engage the keeper plate 6. When the said lugs are so engaged, the members 13 will be secured under tension. When, however, any one of the latches 15 is depressed by the finger of one player, it will release its complementary member 13, and the latter springing inwardly will powerfully drive its complementary ball toward the opposite side of the apparatus. Each finger latch 15 bears a key 17 on which is a number or other individual sign. The members 13 may be and preferably are set by drawing their latches 15 outwardly and engaging said latches with the keeper plate 6. Manifestly the combination of the members 13 with the convexity 12 is advantageous inasmuch as eachplacing of the members 13 is accomplished without anytendencyto weaken onbreak thesalme;

Transverse partr- At 18 the plate 1 is provided with aper tures alined with the alleys 5, and below said apertures 18 the-plateis equippedwith pendent guides 19 in which are disposed and movable the upwardly-directed inner portions 20 of repelling members 21-. These latter are extended through openings 11 in the frame side 10, opposite to the frame '.S1d6 8, and are connected at24t to said frame side in such manner as to enable them to swing vertically in the alleys 5. Each repelling member has a finger portion 25 on which is a key 26 bearing the same number or individual sign as the corresponding impelling member 13. Normally the repelling members rest in the position shown in Fig. 2z'. 6., with their inner portions disposed on a rest 27 and entirely below the upper side of the plate 1. When, however, the finger portion 25 of any member 21 is depressed the inner portion of said member will be thrown upwardly into its respective alley .5 to repel the ball therein, and when said finger portion is relieved of pressure,

the inner portion of the member 21 will quickly gravitate to and willremain of itself in the normal position shown in Fig. 2. At one end my novel game apparatus is provided with an indicator 28 similar in construction to and for the same purpose as the indicator employed on the apparatus of my prior patent aforesaid.

The impelling springs 12 of my prior patent have been found objectionable inasmuch as'they tend to throw the balls upwardly and retard the speed of the balls.

.This objection, however, cannot be made to "claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a game apparatus, the combination of a frame having a plurality of alleys and also having a side with a convexity below the alleys at one end thereof, resilient impelling members one for each alley, connected to the frame :side and arranged to be retracted and put under tension against sald convexity, latch fingers connected to the upper portlons of said impelling members, and keeper means on the frame and complementary to saidlatch fingers.

In a game apparatus, the combination of a frame having an alley and a convexity below one end of said alley and also having an opening in its side coincident with the alley, a keeper on the frame side above said opening, a resilient impelling member connected -to the frame side, below the convexity, and arranged to be retracted and put under tension against said convexity, and a latch finger connected to the upper portion of the impelling member and extending through said opening and having means to abut against said keeper.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of a frame having a plurality of alloys and also having a side with openings coincident with said alleys and a rest disposed below and extending at right angles to the alleys, and repelling members extending through said openings and mounted on the frame to swing vertically and having comparatively long inner arms normally disposed on said rest and terminating in upwardly reaching portions adapted to be raised through openings in the bottoms of the alleys.

1-. In a game apparatus, the combination of a frame having a plurality of alleys and also having a side with openings coincident with saidalleys and a rest disposed below and extending at right angles to the alleys, repelling members extending through said openings and mounted on the frame to swing vertically and having con'iparativel y long inner arms normally disposed on said rest and tern'iinatin in upwardly reaching portions adapted to e raised through openings in the bottoms of the alleys, and pendent guides interposed between the bottoms of the alleys and the rest and receiving said portions of the impelling members to hold the same against lateral deflection.

5. In a game apparatus the combination. of a frame havin a plurality of alloys and also having an enlarged side adjacent to the alleys, resilient impelling members one for each alley arranged to be retracted and put under tension against said enlarged side, latch means coacting with said impelling members, and keeper means for said latch means.

6. In a game apparatus the combination of a frame having a plurality of alleys w. thv openings through the bottoms thereof, and. also having an enlarged side adjacent to the alleys, resilient impelling members one for each alley arranged to be retracted and put under tension against said enlarged side, and repelling members located beneath the alleys adapted to extend through said openings to serve as a repelling projectile means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL W. AMLIE.

Witnesses OSCAR GREENLA D, Core. 1. PAUL. 

